First report of Chilo partellus in Turkey, a new invasive maize pest for Europe

Abstract

The spotted stem borer, Chilo partellus (Swinhoe, 1885) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), an invasive pest of wild and cultivated grasses in Asia and Africa, was found for the first time during periodic surveys of maize fields in the East Mediterranean region of Turkey in September and October 2014. The pest was recorded in maize fields of three of four provinces surveyed (Adana, Hatay and Osmaniye; it was not detected in Icel province). The Mediterranean corn stalk borer, Sesamia nonagrioides Lefebvre (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is the dominant maize pest in the East Mediterranean region of Turkey, followed by the European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae). The new invasive species comprised 4.9% of the total number of collected lepidopteran pests collected from maize stems and cobs in locations infested by C. partellus. No natural enemies of the new pest were recorded during our surveys. We discuss possible interactions among these three lepidopteran pests sharing the same habitat, prospects for control of C. partellus by the control methods currently used against S. nonagrioides and O. nubilalis, and also speculate on the path of invasion taken by C. partellus into Turkey.

First record of the egg parasitoids of Chilo partellus (Swinhoe, 1885) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) in Turkey unveiled by DNA Barcoding

“…C. partellus was present in both years. Chilo partellus was recorded recently for the first time from some provinces in the eastern Mediterranean region of Turkey, but natural enemies of this pest were not determined in these studies (Sertkaya et al, 2014;Bayram & Tonğa, 2015). When new insect species are introduced into a region, some can become invasive and cause significant economic damage.…”

“…Yield losses caused by stem borers in Africa have been as high as 80 to 88% in maize (Van den Berg, 2009;Kfir, 1990) and as much as 88% in sorghum (Seshu Reddy, 1988). This pest was recorded for the first time in maize fields in some provinces in the East Mediterranean region of Turkey in 2014 and 2015 (Sertkaya et al, 2014;Bayram & Tonğa, 2015).…”

The potential global distribution of Chilo partellus, including consideration of irrigation and cropping patterns

“…It has been recorded from both Cameroon and Togo in West Africa (IAPSC 1985 in Harris 1990 ), and possibly occurs in Benin (GBIF data portal search shows 14 records for Benin in April 2014, from an animal census); however, the West African results remain unconfirmed, and are likely to be misidentifications (Overholt et al 2000 ). More recently, C. partellus has been reported from the relatively dry regions of the Mediterranean Basin in Turkey (Bayram and Tonğa 2015 ) and Israel (Ben-Yakir et al 2013 ). Figure 1 indicates the countries from which C. partellus has been previously recorded.…”

The link between functional response and longevity of Trichogramma evanescens strains indigenous to Türkiye: A comparative assessment of parameters

“…Extensive survey initiatives have profiled the presence and relative abundance of the stemborers, Sesamia nonagrioides Lef., Sesamia cretica Led., Spodoptera frugiperda (JE Smith; Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), Ostrinia nubilalis Hbn. and Chilo partellus (Swinhoe; Lepidoptera: Crambidae) in these regions (Bayram & Tonğa, 2016; Tonğa, 2021, 2023). Stemborers exhibit the capability to cause damage by tunnelling through the aboveground organs of the maize plants at any growth stage from seedling to maturity.…”